Maternity brassiere



Feb. 15, 1966 s. GLOGOVER 3,234,946

MATERNITY BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. STANLEY GLOGOVER ATTORNEY Feb. 15, 1966 s. GLOGOVER 3,234,946

MATERNITY BRASSIERE Filed Sept. 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. STANLEY C. GLOGOVER BY @ZUZQW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,234,946 MATERNHTY BRASSiElRlE Stanley Glogover, Riverdale, N.Y., assignor to De Luxe Girdiecraft Co., it'nc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 306,837 8 Claims. ill. 128442) This invention relates to brassieres and particularly to a type of brassiere having an inner, partially floating breast cup and an outer supporting partial breast cup.

As is well known, during the period of gestation a womans breasts normally increase in size to accommodate the special glandular functions associated with nursing the expected infant. It is impractical to purchase a new brassiere for each change in breast configuration, and it is one of the primary objects of this invention to provide a brassiere construction that will furnish the needed support but will be able to adjust itself to the physiological changes that may be encountered.

In accordance with this invention, a brassiere is provided having relatively inelastic breast cups and an elasticized body band that encircles the body of the wearer at approximately the same level as the lower edges of the cups. Contrary to the usual arrangement, the lower edges of the cups are not attached directly to the upper edge of the band but to the lower edge thereof by one or more inner straps. The straps may be as wide as the cups and are preferably elasticized to stretch substantially vertically. A pair of panels is attached to the body band at the sides of the breast cups and shaped to pass around and in contact with the lower outside surfaces of the breast cups to furnish support therefor.

The invention will be more fully described in the following specification together with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a brassiere constructed according to this invention with parts broken away to show certain interior features;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the brassiere of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the brassiere of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a back view of a modification of the brassiere in FIGS. l3.

The brassiere in FIG. 1 comprises a pair of breast cups 11 and 12, each comprising upper and lower panels and, if desired, inner and outer layers. Cup 11 consists of an upper panel 13 of inelastic cloth joined to a lower panel 14 of inelastic cloth along a seam 16, while cup 12 consists of corresponding inelastic upper and lower panels 17 and 18 joined together at a seam 19.

The outer edges of the breast cups 11 and 12 are sewn to one way stretch panels 21 and 22 that form sections of a body band that extends around the body of the wearer. The panels 21 and 22 are elastic in the substantially horizontal directions of the arrows 23 and 24. A pair of similar one way stretch panels 26 and 27 forms the front portion of the body band, and these panels also are elastic in an approximately horizontal direction as indicated by the arrows 2S and 29.

Two straps 31 and 32 are attached to the tops of the cups 11 and 12 respectively, and to parts of the body band which fit around in back of the wearer.

A substantial amount of support is provided by two panels 33 and 34, the adjacent edges of which are sewn together in the center and the outer edges of which are sewn to the outer edges of the cups 11 and 12 and to the panels 21 and 22. The lower edges of the panels 33 and 34 are sewn directly to the upper, curved edges of the panels 26 and 27 but, in accordance with the principles of this invention, are not sewn to the lower edges of the panels 14 and 18.

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FIG. 2 shows the back of the brassiere of FIG. 1 and illustrates the various seams between the panels which are formed in a customary way and will not be further described. FIG. 2 also shows a pair of straps 36 and 37 which are sewn at one end to a reinforcing tape 38 that defines the lower edge of the body band. The upper ends of the straps 36 and 37 are sewn to the lower edges of the panels 14 and 18 and the straps are of one-Way stretch material which is elastic in a generally vertical direction, as indicated by the arrows 39 and 40. While, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the straps 36 and 37 are relatively narrow and are attached to the central part of the lower edges of the panels 14 and 18, it may be desirable in certain circumstances to make these straps wider so as to attach them to a greater portion of the lower edges of the panels 14 and 18. The adjoining edges of the panels 13 and 17, the panels 14 and 18, and the panels 26 and 27 are all sewn to a central, inelastic tape 42 and, as a matter of fact, the panels 33 and 34 on the front of the brassiere are also sewn through to the same tape.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the brassiere and illustrates the supporting action of, in this case, panel 33. As may be seen, this panel conforms generally, although not necessarily precisely, to the adjacent surface of the panel 14. The panels 13 and 14 conform directly to the desired configuration of the bust, and since the latter panels making up the cup 11 are relatively free to move up and down with respect to the panel 33, the exact point or area of support of the latter will vary. The lower edge of the panel 33 is held close to the body of the wearer by the elastic panel 26 which stretches sufliciently to fit the wearer but still holds panel 33 in the proper position.

The strap 36, being elasticized so as to stretch in the direction of the arrow 39, restrains the cup 11 from moving far out of position and yet permits the cup to move as much as may be necessary for the comfort of the wearer and as the size of the breast changes.

FIG. 4 shows a view similar to FIG. 2 but with three elasticized straps 43, 44, and 45 attached to the lower edge of panel 14 and to the elasticized band 38 in place of the single strap 36 of FIG. 2. Three similar elasticized straps 46, 47, and 48 are attached to the lower edge of the corresponding panel 18 and to the band 38. These three relatively narrow straps attached to each of the cups 11 and 12 act as a further restraining force to prevent an undesired amount of motion, particularly lateral motion, and yet, at the same time, they permit the necessary displacement of the cups 111 and 12 for the purposes described above. The straps 43-48 are all elasticized so as to stretch substantially vertically in the directions indicated by the arrows Sit-55.

While the invention has been described in specific embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made therein without departing from the true scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A brassiere comprising: a pair of breast cups each having sides and bottom edges and a support panel therefor; an elasticized body band adapted to enwrap the body of a wearer, the sides of said breast cups being attached to said body band and said support panel being connected to said cup and the front of said band; and elastic straps on the inner side of said band to attach the lower portion of the respective cups to the front portion of said body band to permit said cups to expand relative to said band.

2. A brassiere comprising: an elastic body band adapted to extend horizontally around the body of a wearer; a pair of breast cups each having sides and a lower edge, the proximal sides of said cups being joined together and the outer sides being attached to said body band, the lower edges of said cups being free of direct attachment to said body band; support panels shaped to correspond to the lower portions of the respective cups, each of said panels having its respective sides attached adjacent to the corresponding sides of its respective cups and to the front portion of said band; and straps connecting the lower edges of said cups to the front portion of said body band whereby said cup is free to expand relative to its respective supporting panel and said body band.

3. A brassiere comprising: a pair of breast cups each having sides and bottom edges; an elasticized body band having a length sufficient to encircle the body of the wearer and having a width at the sides of said cups of at least substantially the same dimensions as said sides of said cups, the entire length of the sides of said breast cups being attached to said body band; a support panel for each of the respective cups, said support panel being connected between said cups and the front portion of said band; and elastic straps on the inner side of said body band attached at the front thereof to the lower portion of said cups and to the front portion of said body band.

4. A brassiere comprising: a pair of breast cups each having sides and bottom edges; an elasticized body band having a length sufiicient to encircle the chest portion of the wearer and having a width at the sides of said cups of at least substantially the same dimensions as said sides, the entire length of the sides of said breast cups being attached to said band and the lower edges of said cups being free of direct attachment to said body band; a strap on the inner side of said band to attach the front portion of said band to the central portions of the lower edges of said respective cups; and a support panel corresponding to the lower portion of the respective cups connecting the front portion of said band to said respective cups.

5. A brassiere comprising: a pair of substantially inelastic breast cups each having sides and bottom edges; an elasticized body band having a length sufficient to encircle the chest area of the wearer and having a width at the sides of said cups of at least substantially the same dimensions as said sides, the entire lengths of the sides of aid cups being attached to said band and the lower edge thereof being free of direct attachment to the front portion of said band; elastic straps on the inner side of said band attached to the lower portion of said band and to the lower edges of said cups and a support panel shaped to correspond to the lower portions of said cups, said support panel being connected between the lower portion of said cups and the front portion of said band.

6. A brassiere comprising: a pair of substantially inelastic breast cups each having sides and bottom edges; an elasticized body band, having a length sufiicient to encircle the body of the wearer and having a width at the outer sides of said cups greater than the lengths of said outer sides, the sides of said cups being attached to said band, and the front portion of said band passing beneath the breasts of the wearer and the bottom of said cups being free of direct attachment to said band; support panels connecting said cups to said band, and elastic straps on the inner sides of said band attached between the lower portion of said band and to the lower edges of said cups whereby the cups are freely expandible relative to said support panel.

7. A brassiere comprising: an elastic body band adapted to extend horizontally around the chest area of a wearer, a pair of breast cups each having sides and a lower edge, the proximal sides of said cups being joined together and the outer sides being attached to said band, said body band having a width greater than the lengths of said cup sides at the lines of attachment of said sides to said band, the lower edges of said cups being spaced from the front of said band and free of direct attachment to said band; a pair of support panels shaped to correspond to the lower portions of said cups, each of said support panels having their sides attached adjacent to the corresponding sides of said cups; and straps connecting the lower edges of said cups to said band.

8. A brassiere comprising: an elastic body band adapted to extend horizontally around the body of a wearer; a pair of breast cups each having sides and a lower edge, the proximal sides of said cups being joined together and the outer sides being attached to said body band, said body band having a width greater than the lengths of said sides at the lines of attachment of said sides to said body band, the lower edges of said cups being free of direct attachment to said body band and the front portion of. said body band passing beneath the breasts of the wearer; a pair of support panels shaped to correspond to the lower portions of said cups, each of said support panels having sides attached adjacent to the sides of said cups and to the front portion of the body panel; and straps connecting the lower edges of said cups to said body band.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,391 11/1939 Blair 128-489 2,333,268 11/1943 Moon 128438 3,067,751 12/1962 Steiner 128-489 3,075,531 1/1963 Clover 128-491 3,122,143 2/1964 McShea 128489 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRASSIERE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS EACH HAVING SIDES AND BOTTOM EDGES AND A SUPPORT PANEL THEREFOR; AN ELASTICIZED BODY BAND ADAPTED TO ENWRAP THE BODY OF A WEARER, THE SIDES OF SAID BREAST CUPS BEING ATTACHED TO SAID BODY AND BAND AND SAID SUPPORT PANEL BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CUP AND THE FRONT OF SAID BAND; AND ELASTIC STRAPS ON 